Tiger Woods will fall short of Masters win: Greg Norman

"I think anyone who is maybe my age and even a little bit older and a little bit younger was inspired by him because of what he did on the golf course and how he approached the game". Woods has donned the green jacket four times during his career, but has not won the event since 2005. Former champ Ian Woosnam is in the second group, and amateur fireman Matt Parziale in group 3. "I love the game".

If he hasn't exactly been fan friendly, it doesn't seem to matter to those who continue to watch him in numbers no other player can come close.

At its core, the Masters and Augusta National is all about golf. "I felt that anticipation and that hype, and I almost built it up in my head a little bit too much", he said. When Woods joined The Tour in September of 1996 (and, by the way, entered seven tournaments, won twice, and qualified for the Tour Championship), purses on the PGA Tour totaled just over $69 million. The 54-hole tournament will feature 72 invitees who will play 36 holes at Champions Retreat in Evans, with the final 18 played at Augusta National after a cut to the low 30. After chipping to the edge of the green he salvaged a bogey with a lengthy putt.

Masters track record: In four starts he has one win (2015), has finished second twice and tied for 11th past year.

'The pain he had to endure, the things he had to do just to play and just how hard it was for him to walk, and he ended up walking 36 holes (in one day) and winning a US Open.

Woods has feasted on Augusta National's longest holes over the years, but parred each of them in his return to golf's first major.

With the exception of the shot that landed just feet away from me, seeing Tiger throughout the day was a struggle.

Only a year ago, Woods said he had trouble just sitting through the dinner at the Masters Club of past champions because of pain from his lower back shooting down his legs. He's pain-free, and his clubhead speed of 129 miles per hour was the fastest on the PGA Tour through mid-March.

Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player officially got the tournament started Thursday morning with the ceremonial tee shot.

But he gained those shots back with birdies at the 11th and 13th. Since 2010, Woods has finished with par or better in all but two rounds, with a scoring average of 4.81.

How do you think Tiger will fare at the Masters?

An anonymous insidertold Golf Digest that, if execs were to open the domestic TV bidding, it would be worth more than the U.S. Open, "but that's never going to happen". But that's normal for him early at the Masters.

"I play well here", said McIlroy.

Since then, he's struggled both on and off the course with various injuries and surgeries, as well as a DUI a year ago.

Sportsbook.ag has Woods and Jordan Spieth as co-favorites. And world No. 1 Dustin Johnson begins his round at 2:00 ET, in the day's final grouping.

"There's no pressure on me", said Watson. I think that's what is making this year's Masters so exciting, is that there are so many guys. Three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson goes off at 1:27 p.m. ET.

Woods, who has won 14 major tournaments including four Masters victories, endured a lengthy layoff because of injuries and had a highly publicized DUI arrest last August. "We believe that it's important not only here at the Masters, but in every tournament". He opened with 72-73 previous year and finished with 71-69 to tie for seventh.

Player, 82, took the first swing followed by the 78-year-old Nicklaus under a clear, sunny sky with the temperature in the 40s. Simple as that. I felt like I hit a lot of good shots and unfortunately the ball just didn't stop.